About the committee

As part of the Affordable Care Act, commercial individual and small group health benefit plans must cover essential health benefits, as defined by a benchmark that reflects the scope of services offered by a "typical employer plan." The State of Oregon convened a workgroup in 2012 to select the initial benchmark plan, which applies to health benefit plans sold in 2014 through 2016. The federal government recently announced that states have an opportunity to choose a new benchmark for 2017 health benefit plans. The Department of Consumer and Business Services has convened a rulemaking advisory committee to recommend a new benchmark plan and new "standard" plan designs. This committee will have an important and lasting impact on Oregon's commercial health insurance markets by doing the following:

Public meetings

The Essential Health Benefits/Standard Plan Rulemaking Advisory Committee meetings are open to the public. Limited time is available at each meeting to present comments in person. Whether individuals submit comments in person or not, all individuals who wish to submit public comment are strongly encouraged to do so in writing via email to essential.healthbenefits@oregon.gov.